11.30.2004
bassoons
From the New York Times today: a crackpot pilot who is looking to attempt the world's first solo non-stop around the world air flight is described as being a "glider pilot, sailor, and bassoonist."
Since when was being a bassoonist that interesting?
I'm singing in a symposium on Petrarch today, which I think is going to be a lot of fun. The one major problem I have is that my Italian pronounciation is not fantastic, so I'll be practicing a bit during the day to prepare.
Moved to the new MCR today: everything looks great. Except the dishwasher, which I can't figure out. Stupid dishwasher...
Since when was being a bassoonist that interesting?
I'm singing in a symposium on Petrarch today, which I think is going to be a lot of fun. The one major problem I have is that my Italian pronounciation is not fantastic, so I'll be practicing a bit during the day to prepare.
Moved to the new MCR today: everything looks great. Except the dishwasher, which I can't figure out. Stupid dishwasher...
11.28.2004
advent
The season of advent is upon us, which is the more religious side of the Christmas season. Today I didn't sing at Queen's College and instead went to the Keble College Chapel's advent carols service. It was beautiful: almost exclusively candle-lit (the organ does, however, need an electric light), and with a wonderful choir to sing carols and a deep and relaxing meditative darkness and warmth, the service was really mind-clearing and very, very spiritual. I know a lot of people don't like it, but the pomp and tradition do a lot for me.
And afterward, it was followed by the Keble Christmas Dinner, at which the high table and us common folk are served exactly the same food, the choir sings carols while we eat, and we get those nice Christmas cracker noise-maker things with fun paper crowns inside them. I took photos, but there's a problem here:
a) my camera is kind of broken (the lens-cover has become un-automated), so I have to manually move the sliding door to the lens.
b) I don't have the cable which goes from my camera to my computer. This is a severe problem, as it compromises my ability to see or post my photos online.
But anyway, back to the food: mmm... Starter was a salad of vermicelli and pear in a light mayonnaise dressing, with english mustard and spring onion. The entree was awesome: Three slices of roast turkey, inside which were sandwiched a delicious chestnut stuffing and a sausage wrapped in bacon. Also a rich gravy, roasted potatoes, carrot strips and brussels sprouts. And the Keble house red and house white: neither of these was good. Finally, a Christmas black pudding. Not bad, but it certainly looked horrible.
---
So the ladies of Keble College came in second at the Christ Church regatta. Keble B boat came in 4th. Outstanding effort on both of their teams! Christ Church was a bit off when they rowed by us on Saturday, and Keble Boat Club was certainly not on its best behaviour when we yelled abuse at them in their vulnerable state. So they came up and had a nice "discussion" squad to squad, which was essentially the Christ Church folks and the Keble folks in one of those primary-school fight huddles. No actual fighting, though some rather angry words were indeed exchanged. But cut to the chase, Keble Novice Men's A have been challenged to race the Christ Church Novice Men's A to a head-to-head race. Don't know if we have the time to take them up on it, but I'd love to.
And afterward, it was followed by the Keble Christmas Dinner, at which the high table and us common folk are served exactly the same food, the choir sings carols while we eat, and we get those nice Christmas cracker noise-maker things with fun paper crowns inside them. I took photos, but there's a problem here:
a) my camera is kind of broken (the lens-cover has become un-automated), so I have to manually move the sliding door to the lens.
b) I don't have the cable which goes from my camera to my computer. This is a severe problem, as it compromises my ability to see or post my photos online.
But anyway, back to the food: mmm... Starter was a salad of vermicelli and pear in a light mayonnaise dressing, with english mustard and spring onion. The entree was awesome: Three slices of roast turkey, inside which were sandwiched a delicious chestnut stuffing and a sausage wrapped in bacon. Also a rich gravy, roasted potatoes, carrot strips and brussels sprouts. And the Keble house red and house white: neither of these was good. Finally, a Christmas black pudding. Not bad, but it certainly looked horrible.
---
So the ladies of Keble College came in second at the Christ Church regatta. Keble B boat came in 4th. Outstanding effort on both of their teams! Christ Church was a bit off when they rowed by us on Saturday, and Keble Boat Club was certainly not on its best behaviour when we yelled abuse at them in their vulnerable state. So they came up and had a nice "discussion" squad to squad, which was essentially the Christ Church folks and the Keble folks in one of those primary-school fight huddles. No actual fighting, though some rather angry words were indeed exchanged. But cut to the chase, Keble Novice Men's A have been challenged to race the Christ Church Novice Men's A to a head-to-head race. Don't know if we have the time to take them up on it, but I'd love to.
11.27.2004
family, part ii
Just sent my family away on the bus to London. We had an extremely packed two days here; so much so that I'm reeling. We saw a lot, ate some fabulous meals, and generally revelled in the company of family. My only sadness was that I had to play tour guide for them, instead of just enjoying being with them. But it was a minor price to pay for getting to spend a few days in my new home with my family.
And I'm going home to be with them in a couple of weeks anyway, so no real problem there.
And I'm going home to be with them in a couple of weeks anyway, so no real problem there.
family!
I love the fact that my family is here. We've had a wonderful time of concerts and touring colleges and eating fantastic food. I just wish they didn't have to leave tomorrow, but at the same time, I know I'll be seeing them in just under two weeks, which is when I get to leave this ridiculous country for a bit. :)
11.26.2004
disqualification
So the Keble Men's Boat Club has been disqualified from the Christ Church Regatta for what seems to be a very stupid reason. The rules for eligibility are as follows:
a) Rowers who have competied in Chirst Church Regatta before may not compete
b) Rowers who have competed in any bumps race or attempted to "row on" for any Bumps race in any year may not compete
c) Rowers who have competed in any ARA, SARA or WARA event (or any foreign equivalent) at junior or senior level may not compete
d) Experience and senior coxswains are allowed cto compete and can be of either sex
To this point, none of our rowers failed to meet any of these requirements.
Added 3 weeks ago, however, was a rule which drastically affects the boatclubs, but which was not made public when it was added to the regulations:
g) And, added 3 weeks ago: Rowers must be in their first temr of rowing. This means that novices may compete in an event in the current Michaelmas Term, but they must not have rowed before.
Note that both clauses a - d remain, while clause g directly clashes with clause c.
So we've got this guy, Noah Riner, who rows for Dartmouth. Collegiate rowing is not part of the Amateur Rowing Association's American counterparts, so we met all of the requirements of A - D. However, he (and I, and Dan) have all rowed before; so none of use meet the requirements of clause G. Of course, probably 75% of the other crews are in the same position. The Christ Church Regatta captains, who are two over-stressed and over-worked girls, decided to go after Noah, since he apparently insulted one of their boyfriends earlier in term. So now none of us can race. I'm very very very upset.
a) Rowers who have competied in Chirst Church Regatta before may not compete
b) Rowers who have competed in any bumps race or attempted to "row on" for any Bumps race in any year may not compete
c) Rowers who have competed in any ARA, SARA or WARA event (or any foreign equivalent) at junior or senior level may not compete
d) Experience and senior coxswains are allowed cto compete and can be of either sex
To this point, none of our rowers failed to meet any of these requirements.
Added 3 weeks ago, however, was a rule which drastically affects the boatclubs, but which was not made public when it was added to the regulations:
g) And, added 3 weeks ago: Rowers must be in their first temr of rowing. This means that novices may compete in an event in the current Michaelmas Term, but they must not have rowed before.
Note that both clauses a - d remain, while clause g directly clashes with clause c.
So we've got this guy, Noah Riner, who rows for Dartmouth. Collegiate rowing is not part of the Amateur Rowing Association's American counterparts, so we met all of the requirements of A - D. However, he (and I, and Dan) have all rowed before; so none of use meet the requirements of clause G. Of course, probably 75% of the other crews are in the same position. The Christ Church Regatta captains, who are two over-stressed and over-worked girls, decided to go after Noah, since he apparently insulted one of their boyfriends earlier in term. So now none of us can race. I'm very very very upset.
11.24.2004
christ church regatta
We won our first race! OK, so it was against a B boat, but still. It's always nice to start off a regatta as the very first race and to school the other team completely. So Jesus B went down to a near-flaming defeat. I actually wasn't watching them that closely, but from what I hear they caught a couple of severe crabs toward the beginning of the race. Our stroke set a nice race pace, and while things may not have looked pretty for the entire stretch, there were moments of real shine. We crossed the finish line and spun our boat before Jesus actually had a chance to finish.
As for the other races, two won, two lost, and much carnage was seen on the river.
KEBLE WOMEN'S B def St. Antony's Women's B
KEBLE WOMEN'S A def Lincoln Women's B
Magdalen Men's A def KEBLE MEN'S C
St. John's Men's B def. KEBLE MEN'S B
Tough time for the men: Men's C didn't look that bad until the home stretch, when they came completely unglued. Men's B had a really tough start: two crabs by the stroke, then another at 2 seat. They were down two lengths by the time they'd hit 20 strokes into the race: a distance that would have been surmountable if the race had been extended another 250 meters. But alas, they made up a length and a quarter, but a two-length deficit was too much to handle.
As for the women, the Women's B boat didn't have any problem destroying St. Antony's B: they won handily and looked none the worse for wear. The Women's A boat had a pretty definite lead on Lincoln, which was a virtual lock. Lincoln was not pulling forward, but was not ceeding any ground. However, a stray crew drifted into Keble's lane from the landing rafts and a klaxon was sounded, officially ending the race. This didn't stop Lincoln from rowing up to where Keble had stopped, but to no avail: Keble declared the winner, the offending crew to be fined money, and as a result, only the Men's B and C teams are to race in the repechage races tomorrow. I wish them the best of luck. Men's B is up against St. Catharine's Men's B, and Men's C is up against (bad draw: ouch!) University College Men's A.
As for carnage on the river, there were some severe problems. Mostly, this deals with novice coxes and even more novice rowers who haven't a clue about anything. So we had crews in near-miss situations of moving into and quickly out of lanes, crews in the low-hanging trees, on the bank, into the landing rafts, and off the course. If you've ever seen a crew shell in perfect timing, it's a thing of beauty. If it's out of time, it looks like a centipede with severe problems with timing its feet. We had a few of those today. I met up with and talked with a friend from High School who is now a Rhodes Scholar from Brown U. studying at Christ Church. She was a cox at BB&N and at Brown, and she could not believe how poorly some of these coxes were handling the river. To be fair, it's a pretty terrible river.
So no racing tomorrow for the Men's A or Women's A & B. Put in a hard day's work today. Photos up soon; probably going to take down the other albums for this.
As for the other races, two won, two lost, and much carnage was seen on the river.
KEBLE WOMEN'S B def St. Antony's Women's B
KEBLE WOMEN'S A def Lincoln Women's B
Magdalen Men's A def KEBLE MEN'S C
St. John's Men's B def. KEBLE MEN'S B
Tough time for the men: Men's C didn't look that bad until the home stretch, when they came completely unglued. Men's B had a really tough start: two crabs by the stroke, then another at 2 seat. They were down two lengths by the time they'd hit 20 strokes into the race: a distance that would have been surmountable if the race had been extended another 250 meters. But alas, they made up a length and a quarter, but a two-length deficit was too much to handle.
As for the women, the Women's B boat didn't have any problem destroying St. Antony's B: they won handily and looked none the worse for wear. The Women's A boat had a pretty definite lead on Lincoln, which was a virtual lock. Lincoln was not pulling forward, but was not ceeding any ground. However, a stray crew drifted into Keble's lane from the landing rafts and a klaxon was sounded, officially ending the race. This didn't stop Lincoln from rowing up to where Keble had stopped, but to no avail: Keble declared the winner, the offending crew to be fined money, and as a result, only the Men's B and C teams are to race in the repechage races tomorrow. I wish them the best of luck. Men's B is up against St. Catharine's Men's B, and Men's C is up against (bad draw: ouch!) University College Men's A.
As for carnage on the river, there were some severe problems. Mostly, this deals with novice coxes and even more novice rowers who haven't a clue about anything. So we had crews in near-miss situations of moving into and quickly out of lanes, crews in the low-hanging trees, on the bank, into the landing rafts, and off the course. If you've ever seen a crew shell in perfect timing, it's a thing of beauty. If it's out of time, it looks like a centipede with severe problems with timing its feet. We had a few of those today. I met up with and talked with a friend from High School who is now a Rhodes Scholar from Brown U. studying at Christ Church. She was a cox at BB&N and at Brown, and she could not believe how poorly some of these coxes were handling the river. To be fair, it's a pretty terrible river.
So no racing tomorrow for the Men's A or Women's A & B. Put in a hard day's work today. Photos up soon; probably going to take down the other albums for this.
11.23.2004
Just went to pick up my mail.
• New Yorker Cartoon Issue.
sweeeeeet... it's amazing: they'll charge me another $100 to renew my subscription in the UK, but if I move from the US to the UK, there's no extra charge for forwarding it. Interesting.
• Confirmation of Admission.
So I got in. To Oxford. I mean, they just confirmed it. Go me. :)
Today I get to read Xenophon for next week.
• New Yorker Cartoon Issue.
sweeeeeet... it's amazing: they'll charge me another $100 to renew my subscription in the UK, but if I move from the US to the UK, there's no extra charge for forwarding it. Interesting.
• Confirmation of Admission.
So I got in. To Oxford. I mean, they just confirmed it. Go me. :)
Today I get to read Xenophon for next week.
t-shirt
Woo Hoo! My t-shirt came today! I actually forgot to purchase one, so I had to take what they'd ordered extras in: ie. large. Now, I've not worn a large t-shirt for a few years now, but I find that I fit into it now. I can't wait to go to Saks and see what suit size I'm down to now.
My Keble College Boat Club fleece came today too. Exciting - I'm going to wear it to the race.
Bought a college scarf today. Paid way too much - I can't believe how much they'll charge for a stupid scarf.
I really want to get to bed early tonight, but I can't sleep. Too excited about the race...
So my friend paid me an interesting complement the other day. "Joe, it's really something that you can come out of your room looking as you do with your room looking as it does." I took it as a complement that I am dressing much more formally than one might imagine, remembering my slovenly dress from high school, college, or jeans days at P. school. But then I got to thinking: my room doesn't look that bad, does it?
My Keble College Boat Club fleece came today too. Exciting - I'm going to wear it to the race.
Bought a college scarf today. Paid way too much - I can't believe how much they'll charge for a stupid scarf.
I really want to get to bed early tonight, but I can't sleep. Too excited about the race...
So my friend paid me an interesting complement the other day. "Joe, it's really something that you can come out of your room looking as you do with your room looking as it does." I took it as a complement that I am dressing much more formally than one might imagine, remembering my slovenly dress from high school, college, or jeans days at P. school. But then I got to thinking: my room doesn't look that bad, does it?
in less than 24 hours...
...our boat will have raced. And my family will be in London.
First, the boat. Yeah, so we're racing tomorrow at 12:30 PM. We're racing the B boat from Jesus College. Should be fun. I'm feeling the adrenaline starting to build already. Do wish us luck. :)
So who is this motley crew? Here we are from stern to bow.
Mike: our coxswain. He's Scottish and sings strange Scottish songs over the microphone when we're out on the water. Good man.
Noah: Stroke. This guy hails from Dartmouth and is a fitness fiend. He's only here for a semester. Sadly, his flatulence keeps me from getting to know him any better. Thank goodness he's down-wind of everyone but Mike.
James S.: This man is always late to practice. He's British and sort of laconic.
Tuvia: The only other grad student on the crew, he's a lawyer from Toronto. He trains for marathons, so he's seriously fit.
Jared: On a one-semester exchange from Calvin College, he studies philosophy and history here, but is majoring in literature back in the States. Very tall; very long legs. I have to hustle to walk beside him, which I had to do a lot because neither he nor I had bikes at the beginning of the season.
Dan: A real joker from Eastbourne College (it's a high school), he's studying chemistry at Oxford, but only because it allows him to row. Lazy as anything.
Me: I'm me. Truly the earthshattering philosophical revelation of the century.
James B.: Another American, James went to St. Paul's School in NH, and is now at Dartmouth. He's a staunch Republican, and scared all of the Brits at the boathouse by donning a George W. Bush pin. Scary. Doesn't understand the Scottish accent well, which makes him slightly less effective when dealing with Mike.
Duncan: A thin wiry guy, he's seriously fast on his bike or running. Always good for a laugh, Duncan is the second-to-last person to arrive for anything, followed in good time by James S.
That's the Keble Men's Novice A crew for 2004. Wish us luck!
---
Right. So my parents are coming. Actually, my whole family is. I'm so excited. We'll see the sights, hear the sounds, etc. the etc. of Oxford. I actually am extremely excited: I was never that psyched when my parents came to visit me at college. I think it's because they did it very often, and it became a relatively common occurance. But with this, I think this may be one of the only times that my family will see Oxford, and it truly will be the only time they'll see it all at once. So I'm absolutely psyched. More psyched, perhaps, than I am for the regatta, but don't tell my crew.
First, the boat. Yeah, so we're racing tomorrow at 12:30 PM. We're racing the B boat from Jesus College. Should be fun. I'm feeling the adrenaline starting to build already. Do wish us luck. :)
So who is this motley crew? Here we are from stern to bow.
Mike: our coxswain. He's Scottish and sings strange Scottish songs over the microphone when we're out on the water. Good man.
Noah: Stroke. This guy hails from Dartmouth and is a fitness fiend. He's only here for a semester. Sadly, his flatulence keeps me from getting to know him any better. Thank goodness he's down-wind of everyone but Mike.
James S.: This man is always late to practice. He's British and sort of laconic.
Tuvia: The only other grad student on the crew, he's a lawyer from Toronto. He trains for marathons, so he's seriously fit.
Jared: On a one-semester exchange from Calvin College, he studies philosophy and history here, but is majoring in literature back in the States. Very tall; very long legs. I have to hustle to walk beside him, which I had to do a lot because neither he nor I had bikes at the beginning of the season.
Dan: A real joker from Eastbourne College (it's a high school), he's studying chemistry at Oxford, but only because it allows him to row. Lazy as anything.
Me: I'm me. Truly the earthshattering philosophical revelation of the century.
James B.: Another American, James went to St. Paul's School in NH, and is now at Dartmouth. He's a staunch Republican, and scared all of the Brits at the boathouse by donning a George W. Bush pin. Scary. Doesn't understand the Scottish accent well, which makes him slightly less effective when dealing with Mike.
Duncan: A thin wiry guy, he's seriously fast on his bike or running. Always good for a laugh, Duncan is the second-to-last person to arrive for anything, followed in good time by James S.
That's the Keble Men's Novice A crew for 2004. Wish us luck!
---
Right. So my parents are coming. Actually, my whole family is. I'm so excited. We'll see the sights, hear the sounds, etc. the etc. of Oxford. I actually am extremely excited: I was never that psyched when my parents came to visit me at college. I think it's because they did it very often, and it became a relatively common occurance. But with this, I think this may be one of the only times that my family will see Oxford, and it truly will be the only time they'll see it all at once. So I'm absolutely psyched. More psyched, perhaps, than I am for the regatta, but don't tell my crew.
11.21.2004
music
A few people have been asking me what music I've had the pleasure of singing this term. Well, here are a few music termcards to entertain you:
The Queen's College Choir
Magdala
There are also my two orchestras:
Oxford University Orchestra
Oxford University Sinfonietta
If you like, check out the review of the OUO concert last week.
Concert tomorrow with Peter Maxwell Davies. I don't like his music. I'm sorry, I just don't.
Oh. And sang in the Keble Music Society recital on Friday. Lots of complements from friends and strangers, and a particularly nice one from the Warden. Gotta love that. :)
Wonderful morning today: went to the Trout Inn with the Queen's College Choir for lunch. Delightful meal, wonderful company, and loads of very silly conversation. Perfect for a lazy Sunday, even though it should not have been at all a lazy Sunday.
Paper to write. That's all for now.
The Queen's College Choir
Magdala
There are also my two orchestras:
Oxford University Orchestra
Oxford University Sinfonietta
If you like, check out the review of the OUO concert last week.
Concert tomorrow with Peter Maxwell Davies. I don't like his music. I'm sorry, I just don't.
Oh. And sang in the Keble Music Society recital on Friday. Lots of complements from friends and strangers, and a particularly nice one from the Warden. Gotta love that. :)
Wonderful morning today: went to the Trout Inn with the Queen's College Choir for lunch. Delightful meal, wonderful company, and loads of very silly conversation. Perfect for a lazy Sunday, even though it should not have been at all a lazy Sunday.
Paper to write. That's all for now.
11.19.2004
ouch!
I'm so sore today: went down to the boathouse for circuit training yesterday. But owing to the lack of participants (they're all pansies), instead of a full circuit of 15 different stages that might give our muscles or muscle groups a chance to recover, we did a mini-circuit of heavy weights training. So bench press to burpees to bench pull to weight squat to upright row to push-ups to dead lift. OW. And to top it all off, still nothing to whip my stubborn abs into shape.
I am also incredibly sore because I went down to the music faculty yesterday to pick up the Oxford University contrabassoon which, unlike the nice and neatly coiled ones that we have in the states, is one of the larger less compactly coiled 5+' monstrosities. Which has its own incredibly non-ergonomically-designed tiny little handle which digs into your hands. It took me more than 25 minutes to walk from there back to Keble, a walk that literally does not usually take more than 15. On the way, I got a lot of strange looks from people who have never seen someone walking around with what looks like the carrying case to a grenade launcher. I wonder why.
Singing tonight in the Keble College Music Society recital. Just rehashing some stuff from college: I'm gonna make them sorry that they didn't vote for me to get the music scholarship. Jerks...
Parents coming to visit in less than one week! I'm excited.
I am also incredibly sore because I went down to the music faculty yesterday to pick up the Oxford University contrabassoon which, unlike the nice and neatly coiled ones that we have in the states, is one of the larger less compactly coiled 5+' monstrosities. Which has its own incredibly non-ergonomically-designed tiny little handle which digs into your hands. It took me more than 25 minutes to walk from there back to Keble, a walk that literally does not usually take more than 15. On the way, I got a lot of strange looks from people who have never seen someone walking around with what looks like the carrying case to a grenade launcher. I wonder why.
Singing tonight in the Keble College Music Society recital. Just rehashing some stuff from college: I'm gonna make them sorry that they didn't vote for me to get the music scholarship. Jerks...
Parents coming to visit in less than one week! I'm excited.
11.17.2004
exhausted
...and cold.
Just got back from a crew outing today: it's freezing out there on the water. And when the boat's not level, it gets harder to keep the blades off the water, which means splashing the people behind you. Which is what the people in front of me were doing. So my shirt's soaked and I'm freezing.
Gonna go shower.
I've been working my way through some of the more complex chip flavors (crisp flavours?) recently. The slow roasted lamb and mint was actually quite tasty. The peking sparerib and five spice was certainly dodgy. And the oven roasted chicken and thyme tastes shockingly like chicken. Oddly enough, the lamb crisps contain "lamb powder", the peking sparerib crisps contain "pork powder" and the roast chicken ones contain, yes, "chicken powder". I'm just picturing a medieval serf around a gigantic mortar and pestle grinding little animals into powder. Does that make me a bad person?
Just got back from a crew outing today: it's freezing out there on the water. And when the boat's not level, it gets harder to keep the blades off the water, which means splashing the people behind you. Which is what the people in front of me were doing. So my shirt's soaked and I'm freezing.
Gonna go shower.
I've been working my way through some of the more complex chip flavors (crisp flavours?) recently. The slow roasted lamb and mint was actually quite tasty. The peking sparerib and five spice was certainly dodgy. And the oven roasted chicken and thyme tastes shockingly like chicken. Oddly enough, the lamb crisps contain "lamb powder", the peking sparerib crisps contain "pork powder" and the roast chicken ones contain, yes, "chicken powder". I'm just picturing a medieval serf around a gigantic mortar and pestle grinding little animals into powder. Does that make me a bad person?
11.15.2004
time out
Taking a bit of time out of revising my essay for a little bit more musing.
Oxford must have the most technologically advanced and impressive McDonalds on the face of the planet. The largest one is supposed to be in Beijing somewhere. I don't really see how that's possible. I do know that the largest one in North America is at the SkyDome in Toronto. But this one is cool: It's registered with the Police as a safe haven. They'll call you a cab if you're afraid to walk home! Additionally, they have an additional 150 seats upstairs. That's right. They have an upstairs. With another 150 seats! Wow. Furthermore, you can check your email at their internet cafe. I'm flabbergasted. The only thing that would make the experience that much more wacky would be if you could go online to order your food.
I was flipping through the channels today during a break and came across Alexandr Nevsky by Sergei Eisenstein. I had the priviledge to sing Prokofiev's concert suite of music from the film two summers ago, and it was amazing to see the film line up with the music that I have enjoyed for so long (one of the first CDs I ever owned: it had a piece from band on it as well). I loved it, and I am really glad I took the time to watch. I wish that the sound had been better, of course; it seems like they recorded it before the advent of tuning orchestras. And the subtitles were sub-par (white subtitles in a b/w film? Sometimes they were completely illegible. The amazing thing is, though, that most of the time you don't need the subtitles, as Eisenstein and his actors so consistently convey their meaning. Excellent movie.
Oxford must have the most technologically advanced and impressive McDonalds on the face of the planet. The largest one is supposed to be in Beijing somewhere. I don't really see how that's possible. I do know that the largest one in North America is at the SkyDome in Toronto. But this one is cool: It's registered with the Police as a safe haven. They'll call you a cab if you're afraid to walk home! Additionally, they have an additional 150 seats upstairs. That's right. They have an upstairs. With another 150 seats! Wow. Furthermore, you can check your email at their internet cafe. I'm flabbergasted. The only thing that would make the experience that much more wacky would be if you could go online to order your food.
I was flipping through the channels today during a break and came across Alexandr Nevsky by Sergei Eisenstein. I had the priviledge to sing Prokofiev's concert suite of music from the film two summers ago, and it was amazing to see the film line up with the music that I have enjoyed for so long (one of the first CDs I ever owned: it had a piece from band on it as well). I loved it, and I am really glad I took the time to watch. I wish that the sound had been better, of course; it seems like they recorded it before the advent of tuning orchestras. And the subtitles were sub-par (white subtitles in a b/w film? Sometimes they were completely illegible. The amazing thing is, though, that most of the time you don't need the subtitles, as Eisenstein and his actors so consistently convey their meaning. Excellent movie.
11.13.2004
musings
It's been a couple of days since my last post.
I sent the following call out today by email:
"I know that I'm abusing the open list, and I apologize. Or apologise. However the hell you spell it over here.
Does anyone have a bike tire pump I can borrow? My bike's got flat tires and the nozzle doesn't fit the pump they have in the lodge. Please call me as soon as you can (22593) as I need to be able to cycle by 11:15 am."
I just received the following response:
"In the UK it can be either 'apologise' or 'apologize' - the Oxford University Press uses the latter version. But always 'analyse' and 'paralyse'."
Boy was I asking for it. Not to mention the fact that people wrote to me informing me that they spell it "tyre" over here. What a strange and backward place this is.
Had a wonderful black-tie dinner two nights ago. Photos will be up shortly. Also, a hearty happy birthday to my friend Liz who turned a whopping 22 yesterday. Liz keeps me honest by making sure I don't eat too many döner kebabs. At least, not in front of her...
I'm writing a paper on Thucydides' treatment of the causes of the Peloponnesian War and whether his narrative can be taken seriously. I mean, the guy's work has stood for over two thousand years. Now some master's degree student is going to say that it's unreliable? riiiight.
I can't believe it snowed in Boston last night: I'm so jealous. I so want it to snow here. Oxford would look brilliant in the snow. But no, it's just cold. And wet. And gross.
Took a gander through the Keble College alumni record for 2004. The "news of old members" section was particularly amusing. Included:
--- is currently acting as a constitutional advisor to the Kurdistan Regional Government
--- works part time as a Gestalt Psychotherapist from home.
--- received the French Légion d'Honneur at a ceremony at Les Invalides.
--- was a member of the gold medal winning Coxless Four at the Olympic Games in Athens.
--- has just won the British Chess Championship
--- is currently involved in moth recording
--- conducts research and writing in the European intellectual origins of Anglo-American Freemasonry.
My favorite, however, would be this one:
--- "extended his distinguished academic career by completing dissertations in Advanced use of the en-dash in calendar elision, and Remembering the names of your best friend's children."
OK. Back to work.
I sent the following call out today by email:
"I know that I'm abusing the open list, and I apologize. Or apologise. However the hell you spell it over here.
Does anyone have a bike tire pump I can borrow? My bike's got flat tires and the nozzle doesn't fit the pump they have in the lodge. Please call me as soon as you can (22593) as I need to be able to cycle by 11:15 am."
I just received the following response:
"In the UK it can be either 'apologise' or 'apologize' - the Oxford University Press uses the latter version. But always 'analyse' and 'paralyse'."
Boy was I asking for it. Not to mention the fact that people wrote to me informing me that they spell it "tyre" over here. What a strange and backward place this is.
Had a wonderful black-tie dinner two nights ago. Photos will be up shortly. Also, a hearty happy birthday to my friend Liz who turned a whopping 22 yesterday. Liz keeps me honest by making sure I don't eat too many döner kebabs. At least, not in front of her...
I'm writing a paper on Thucydides' treatment of the causes of the Peloponnesian War and whether his narrative can be taken seriously. I mean, the guy's work has stood for over two thousand years. Now some master's degree student is going to say that it's unreliable? riiiight.
I can't believe it snowed in Boston last night: I'm so jealous. I so want it to snow here. Oxford would look brilliant in the snow. But no, it's just cold. And wet. And gross.
Took a gander through the Keble College alumni record for 2004. The "news of old members" section was particularly amusing. Included:
--- is currently acting as a constitutional advisor to the Kurdistan Regional Government
--- works part time as a Gestalt Psychotherapist from home.
--- received the French Légion d'Honneur at a ceremony at Les Invalides.
--- was a member of the gold medal winning Coxless Four at the Olympic Games in Athens.
--- has just won the British Chess Championship
--- is currently involved in moth recording
--- conducts research and writing in the European intellectual origins of Anglo-American Freemasonry.
My favorite, however, would be this one:
--- "extended his distinguished academic career by completing dissertations in Advanced use of the en-dash in calendar elision, and Remembering the names of your best friend's children."
OK. Back to work.
11.11.2004
slightly better day today
Well, so I'm still reeling from yesterday's conversations and such. But it's been a slightly better day: had our first Oxford University Orchestra concert: truly a wonderful event. The program was:
Messiaen: Les Offrande Oubliées
Rachmaninoff: Isle of the Dead
Ravel: Boléro
Respighi: Pines of Rome
All conducted by Peter Stark.
Awesome: Ravel got pitchy at times, but everything else was quite good. On a side note, I think that if I ever turned in something like Boléro in a composition class, I'd have been accused of abusing the cut-and-paste function in Finale.
My watch broke two days ago... :( So now I have to carry around half of my watch, but I can't put it on my wrist. This is, like, the second time this has happened: something's not right.
Finally, the story from yesterday has been picked up by the Associated Press, and Google News has it running as far away as the Fresno Bee in CA, Miami Herald, FL, and even the Guardian in London. Here's the Associated Press Story. I lost it today during evensong, during the Nunc dimittis, the translation for which is "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace." Death scares the heck out of me, and I can't bear to hear that my friends are upset either.
Messiaen: Les Offrande Oubliées
Rachmaninoff: Isle of the Dead
Ravel: Boléro
Respighi: Pines of Rome
All conducted by Peter Stark.
Awesome: Ravel got pitchy at times, but everything else was quite good. On a side note, I think that if I ever turned in something like Boléro in a composition class, I'd have been accused of abusing the cut-and-paste function in Finale.
My watch broke two days ago... :( So now I have to carry around half of my watch, but I can't put it on my wrist. This is, like, the second time this has happened: something's not right.
Finally, the story from yesterday has been picked up by the Associated Press, and Google News has it running as far away as the Fresno Bee in CA, Miami Herald, FL, and even the Guardian in London. Here's the Associated Press Story. I lost it today during evensong, during the Nunc dimittis, the translation for which is "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace." Death scares the heck out of me, and I can't bear to hear that my friends are upset either.
11.10.2004
in memoriam
I got a chilling IM from Diana this afternoon: one of her undergraduate classmates was brutally murdered in Philadelphia. It's been on the news in southern New Jersey and in Philadelphia. I'll confess that while I was definitely introduced to this girl and vaguely remember her, I have nothing but very sketchy memories: no details.
Bringing this up on a blog seems kind of wrong, but not nearly as wrong as not at the very least registering my disgust with people who knowingly hurt others. Not kill, merely hurt. I say this because it's unthinkable for me to physically injure someone else out of spite or anger or malice. It's senseless, and it's brutal, and it's just plain wrong. This makes me sad. And it makes me more sad because it's also making Diana and a lot of her friends sad. Including four of our mutual friends, about whom I care a great deal.
My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, to her classmates at Harvard, Radnor High School, and Jefferson Medical School. And to all who are grieving today.
Bringing this up on a blog seems kind of wrong, but not nearly as wrong as not at the very least registering my disgust with people who knowingly hurt others. Not kill, merely hurt. I say this because it's unthinkable for me to physically injure someone else out of spite or anger or malice. It's senseless, and it's brutal, and it's just plain wrong. This makes me sad. And it makes me more sad because it's also making Diana and a lot of her friends sad. Including four of our mutual friends, about whom I care a great deal.
My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, to her classmates at Harvard, Radnor High School, and Jefferson Medical School. And to all who are grieving today.
11.07.2004
good gracious
The editorials have been pouring in from the New York Times. Most of them either strongly condemning the midwest for surrendering to fear or chastizing Democrats for bickering afterwards. I'm sick of hearing about it. Get on with your lives.
I've got a new essay due tomorrow about the Ephialtic Reforms in early 5th century BC Athens. Very enjoyable, really.
Huge concert on Wednesday in Christ Church Cathedral: Oxford University Orchestra is playing Messiaen, Respighi, Ravel, and Rachmaninoff. Lots of fun: if you're in the area (hah), come on by.
Crew is going well: I'm still on the A-boat, but coach is unhappy with my musical commitments. We shall see: he says he's going to email me this afternoon to "discuss". Nervous, but I've got more important things to worry about that whether I'm on the A or B boat for the regatta. Incidentally, if you're in town for the regatta (24 - 26 Nov.), come on by.
Nothing of substance to write today: 5th week blues is setting in. I'm very tired and have lots of work to do.
I've got a new essay due tomorrow about the Ephialtic Reforms in early 5th century BC Athens. Very enjoyable, really.
Huge concert on Wednesday in Christ Church Cathedral: Oxford University Orchestra is playing Messiaen, Respighi, Ravel, and Rachmaninoff. Lots of fun: if you're in the area (hah), come on by.
Crew is going well: I'm still on the A-boat, but coach is unhappy with my musical commitments. We shall see: he says he's going to email me this afternoon to "discuss". Nervous, but I've got more important things to worry about that whether I'm on the A or B boat for the regatta. Incidentally, if you're in town for the regatta (24 - 26 Nov.), come on by.
Nothing of substance to write today: 5th week blues is setting in. I'm very tired and have lots of work to do.
11.06.2004
my sarcasm fix...
Just found out that the Daily Show is on at 12:30 am on Saturday morning and Sunday morning.
Sweet. It's good to have this little taste of home.
Sweet. It's good to have this little taste of home.
11.04.2004
stuff to think about
I just read Thomas Friedman's op-ed column in the today's NYTimes. It's exactly what I wish I could articulate myself. I disagree fundamentally with the Republican idea that religion has a place in American politics. I disagree with the so-called 'moral majority' who think that you can change the morality of a nation by electing a Christian leader. For the record, I am an evangelical Christian. I am a church-going evangelical Christian. I sing in four church services per week and I attend one more on Sundays in which I am a worshipper. I believe that the Bible is the word of God.
I am also a liberal. And I am from Massachusetts, and spent seven years living in New Jersey, right up close to New York City. And I disagree with much of what each of my respective demographic groups has to say about each other.
In an article published today in the Times entitled A Blue City (Disconsolate, Even) Bewildered by a Red America, liberal New Yorkers expressed their outrage and disappointment with "the rest of the nation." Dr. Zito Joseph, a psyychiatrist, analyzes it thusly: "I'm saddened by what I feel is the obtuseness and shortsightedness of a good part of the country - the heartland. This kind of redneck, shoot-from-the-hop mentality and a very concrete interpretation of religion is prevalent in Bush country." The people who voted for President Bush are not rednecks: they're not shortsighted and they're not stupid. Liberals on each coast have written to me to express their displeasure over these 'Bible-thumping morons' who voted with Jesus-shaped blinders on. I fundamentally disagree.
But I am also disappointed with the conservatives evangelicals who feel that the the country is headed to a Babylon-styled apocalypse because we allow women to have abortions or two men to get married. In an article published today in the Boston Globe entitled Religion-based voters provvided critical edge, Prof. Dennis Goldford of Drake University in Des Moines, IA, that to conservative Christians, "a Massachusetts Democrat is an elitist, someone who looks down on people of faith." I am a Massachusetts Democrat. I am also a person of faith. So how do I justify my dislike of President Bush?
Firstly, I should clarify this: I do not dislike President Bush. I would probably find him relatively agreeable in a bar or social event. I disagree with President Bush. This is a key distinction: many of my British colleagues say that 'likeability' or 'personality' have no place in British politics: generally speaking, he or she who can do the best job is the one elected. It doesn't matter if you dislike the candidate as a person: effectiveness is the criterion. Bush's faith is admirable. I like that. But I don't think that it allows him to cherry-pick scriptural points. The right has co-opted abortion, homosexual marriage, and stem-cell research as their causes. They have not taken up socio-economic parity, environmental concerns, and the preferability of peace to war, even though these too have moral components. Republicans wish to protect the sanctity of life by outlawing abortion, yet many of them also support capital punishment, which takes away God's own right to punish those who do wrong. They cry out over stem-cell research as being fundamentally reprehensible, but I say that improper stewardship of the planet is just as bad if not worse. We are to clothe and feed the poor and hungry, yet we reward those who take companies off-shore in order to avoid taxation.
What makes me really sad is not that this election came down to 'morality', but that we felt that we as Americans on both sides of the aisle had the gall to attempt to determine what 'morality' is. My Republican friends begrudge liberals for their moral relativism: that you're OK, I'm OK nonsense that just allows you to rationalize anything. My Democrat friends begrudge conservatives for their Bible-based moral clarity which imposes an interpretation of the will of God onto everyone: including those who don't believe in that God, or those who don't agree with that interpretation. It's a debate that should take place everywhere across the country. Instead, what we're getting is an article in Harpers about how to flee the country and renounce your citizenship, and Republicans who are taking charge and aggressively pushing through what some are already calling a "revolution".
Let's sit down over coffee and talk about it in words that we can all respect. Not with the words "redneck" or "smug liberal", but with words that show that we respect the opposing point of view, even if we don't agree.
I am also a liberal. And I am from Massachusetts, and spent seven years living in New Jersey, right up close to New York City. And I disagree with much of what each of my respective demographic groups has to say about each other.
In an article published today in the Times entitled A Blue City (Disconsolate, Even) Bewildered by a Red America, liberal New Yorkers expressed their outrage and disappointment with "the rest of the nation." Dr. Zito Joseph, a psyychiatrist, analyzes it thusly: "I'm saddened by what I feel is the obtuseness and shortsightedness of a good part of the country - the heartland. This kind of redneck, shoot-from-the-hop mentality and a very concrete interpretation of religion is prevalent in Bush country." The people who voted for President Bush are not rednecks: they're not shortsighted and they're not stupid. Liberals on each coast have written to me to express their displeasure over these 'Bible-thumping morons' who voted with Jesus-shaped blinders on. I fundamentally disagree.
But I am also disappointed with the conservatives evangelicals who feel that the the country is headed to a Babylon-styled apocalypse because we allow women to have abortions or two men to get married. In an article published today in the Boston Globe entitled Religion-based voters provvided critical edge, Prof. Dennis Goldford of Drake University in Des Moines, IA, that to conservative Christians, "a Massachusetts Democrat is an elitist, someone who looks down on people of faith." I am a Massachusetts Democrat. I am also a person of faith. So how do I justify my dislike of President Bush?
Firstly, I should clarify this: I do not dislike President Bush. I would probably find him relatively agreeable in a bar or social event. I disagree with President Bush. This is a key distinction: many of my British colleagues say that 'likeability' or 'personality' have no place in British politics: generally speaking, he or she who can do the best job is the one elected. It doesn't matter if you dislike the candidate as a person: effectiveness is the criterion. Bush's faith is admirable. I like that. But I don't think that it allows him to cherry-pick scriptural points. The right has co-opted abortion, homosexual marriage, and stem-cell research as their causes. They have not taken up socio-economic parity, environmental concerns, and the preferability of peace to war, even though these too have moral components. Republicans wish to protect the sanctity of life by outlawing abortion, yet many of them also support capital punishment, which takes away God's own right to punish those who do wrong. They cry out over stem-cell research as being fundamentally reprehensible, but I say that improper stewardship of the planet is just as bad if not worse. We are to clothe and feed the poor and hungry, yet we reward those who take companies off-shore in order to avoid taxation.
What makes me really sad is not that this election came down to 'morality', but that we felt that we as Americans on both sides of the aisle had the gall to attempt to determine what 'morality' is. My Republican friends begrudge liberals for their moral relativism: that you're OK, I'm OK nonsense that just allows you to rationalize anything. My Democrat friends begrudge conservatives for their Bible-based moral clarity which imposes an interpretation of the will of God onto everyone: including those who don't believe in that God, or those who don't agree with that interpretation. It's a debate that should take place everywhere across the country. Instead, what we're getting is an article in Harpers about how to flee the country and renounce your citizenship, and Republicans who are taking charge and aggressively pushing through what some are already calling a "revolution".
Let's sit down over coffee and talk about it in words that we can all respect. Not with the words "redneck" or "smug liberal", but with words that show that we respect the opposing point of view, even if we don't agree.
11.03.2004
pain
Most animals learn to avoid behavior that leads to pain. In fact, that's the entire point of shocking hamsters that press the wrong colored button in a little cage. The point of *that* remains to be seen, actually. But we human beings have risen above our baser instincts of "food good" and "procreation good" to find and construct reasons behind why we like food and such. So the interesting problem is that we have now also risen above the base instinct of "pain bad." I applaud culinary pioneers and artisans like Julia Child and Joel Robuchon who lead us to expand our mental powers beyond "food good" to examine why food is good and what magical and wonderful things can be done with edible foodstuffs. These people put our human consciousness to good use. But as for those who use human consciousness to rationalize putting people in pain, or even worse, putting yourself in pain, that's just nuts.
And yet, that's what I've been doing. We went to the boathouse for circuit training yesterday. Evidently, this is something that athletes enjoy doing. I, being not an athlete, and posessing the athletic abilities of, say, lichhen, have never done circuits before. Circuits are awful. For those of you who don't know, it's sixteen different stations at which you punish your body for 50 seconds. Then you move in a sequence from one station to the next in the 10 seconds between doses of pain. These start out fine: I mean, they cause some fatigue for the first four exercises, and then all hell breaks loose. This is the Keble Boat Club Men's Circuit:
lunges - explosive barbell lift (floor to shoulders) - leg lifts - bench press - deep-knee squats - push-ups - dorsal raises (lie on your stomach and keep your knees, head, and arms off of the floor) - ergometer - sit-ups - burpees - jumping jacks - squat and jump with a 5-lb weight - reclining weight pull - plank (straight, stiff body being supported solely by forearms and toes) - standing leg press with weights -standing row - repeat. repeat three times. This was hard enough while I was there, but today at about noon, I started to feel my joints getting stiff. By 5:30 pm, my knees stopped working. I am in a LOT of pain. Oh, and I've got a rowing session at 5:45 am tomorrow morning. And more circuits tomorrow night.
Well, Mr. D.K. of P. school, you and I seem to have split: my team beat the Yankees and won the world series. Your candidate just finished his victory speech for another four years. Well played. I still think that the Red Sox are in a better position than President Bush. I mean look, no one hates the Red Sox right now, but just under half of the country, and most of the rest of the world dislikes the President.
OK... I admit it: I've taken to reading Wonkette. It's so fun and so awful. I was amused by one of the reviews of Wonkette that I found on her website. It makes me feel worse about my blogging:
"treat both blogs as you would a loaded staple gun. Instruments of fun, but best used with caution."
Quotation from Jack Shafer of Slate.com. That's essentially what this website has become anyway... But yeah, Wonkette's just bad reading. It's all of the cynicism about politics that I hate to hear about, yet that I partake of in my own outlook. A psychologist might say that I'm projecting my own biases onto a third party and then choosing to dislike that third party as a surrogate for disliking myself. Meh.
And yet, that's what I've been doing. We went to the boathouse for circuit training yesterday. Evidently, this is something that athletes enjoy doing. I, being not an athlete, and posessing the athletic abilities of, say, lichhen, have never done circuits before. Circuits are awful. For those of you who don't know, it's sixteen different stations at which you punish your body for 50 seconds. Then you move in a sequence from one station to the next in the 10 seconds between doses of pain. These start out fine: I mean, they cause some fatigue for the first four exercises, and then all hell breaks loose. This is the Keble Boat Club Men's Circuit:
lunges - explosive barbell lift (floor to shoulders) - leg lifts - bench press - deep-knee squats - push-ups - dorsal raises (lie on your stomach and keep your knees, head, and arms off of the floor) - ergometer - sit-ups - burpees - jumping jacks - squat and jump with a 5-lb weight - reclining weight pull - plank (straight, stiff body being supported solely by forearms and toes) - standing leg press with weights -standing row - repeat. repeat three times. This was hard enough while I was there, but today at about noon, I started to feel my joints getting stiff. By 5:30 pm, my knees stopped working. I am in a LOT of pain. Oh, and I've got a rowing session at 5:45 am tomorrow morning. And more circuits tomorrow night.
Well, Mr. D.K. of P. school, you and I seem to have split: my team beat the Yankees and won the world series. Your candidate just finished his victory speech for another four years. Well played. I still think that the Red Sox are in a better position than President Bush. I mean look, no one hates the Red Sox right now, but just under half of the country, and most of the rest of the world dislikes the President.
OK... I admit it: I've taken to reading Wonkette. It's so fun and so awful. I was amused by one of the reviews of Wonkette that I found on her website. It makes me feel worse about my blogging:
"treat both blogs as you would a loaded staple gun. Instruments of fun, but best used with caution."
Quotation from Jack Shafer of Slate.com. That's essentially what this website has become anyway... But yeah, Wonkette's just bad reading. It's all of the cynicism about politics that I hate to hear about, yet that I partake of in my own outlook. A psychologist might say that I'm projecting my own biases onto a third party and then choosing to dislike that third party as a surrogate for disliking myself. Meh.
OH-no...
Been up since yesterday.
Haven't slept
Watched the Election with: a bunch of people, the majority of whom were not American.
They made fun of me for my party losing the election and having to deal with crazy people in two of three (and possibly now three of three) branches of government.
I made fun of them for being English.
I still win.
I'm headed to the library now: it's going to be a crazy day.
But before I go: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! :)
Haven't slept
Watched the Election with: a bunch of people, the majority of whom were not American.
They made fun of me for my party losing the election and having to deal with crazy people in two of three (and possibly now three of three) branches of government.
I made fun of them for being English.
I still win.
I'm headed to the library now: it's going to be a crazy day.
But before I go: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! :)
11.02.2004
voting
So I voted last week, which was quite satisfactory, even though the ballot was pretty boring in Massachusetts. And I'm thankful that I did, not the least reason of which is that I can face the zillions of people from all around the world who are asking me today whether I've been able to vote. I was talking with my friend Simon, who's from Liverpool: he remarked that the British press is focusing more on the US election than they have any previous British election. I do not doubt this - the coverage is really quite amazing.
I have to say that anyone studying overseas in four years should be mandated to take a civics lesson before leaving America. I've had so many questions about the electoral college that I had never really considered before. Thank goodness for the NYTimes and CNN.com and all of the other news outlets that supply me with the information I need not to look like an idiot. The best source for information, though? Still The Daily Show, or at least America: The Book. :)
I'm going to try to stay up all night to watch the election returns come in. Unfortunately, while we get CNN International here, the programming calendar has Market Watch: Asia during the time that I want to watch the election. Maybe it'll be trumped by the election coverage.
I even had to explain the electoral college to my supervisor today before we turned our thoughts to the essay I'd written for him (he liked it! :) ).
Heh: I'm using iTunes on my computer like every good mac addict. And one of the shared music playlists is named "Go U.S.A." I'd like to think that I'm a patriot, but good grief. Interestingly, this person's got Tupac, Biggie, Wilco, Jedi Mind Tricks, and the 1955 Glenn Gould recording of Bach. USA indeed: Gould was from Canadia.
I have to say that anyone studying overseas in four years should be mandated to take a civics lesson before leaving America. I've had so many questions about the electoral college that I had never really considered before. Thank goodness for the NYTimes and CNN.com and all of the other news outlets that supply me with the information I need not to look like an idiot. The best source for information, though? Still The Daily Show, or at least America: The Book. :)
I'm going to try to stay up all night to watch the election returns come in. Unfortunately, while we get CNN International here, the programming calendar has Market Watch: Asia during the time that I want to watch the election. Maybe it'll be trumped by the election coverage.
I even had to explain the electoral college to my supervisor today before we turned our thoughts to the essay I'd written for him (he liked it! :) ).
Heh: I'm using iTunes on my computer like every good mac addict. And one of the shared music playlists is named "Go U.S.A." I'd like to think that I'm a patriot, but good grief. Interestingly, this person's got Tupac, Biggie, Wilco, Jedi Mind Tricks, and the 1955 Glenn Gould recording of Bach. USA indeed: Gould was from Canadia.
essay and other things that take up my time
So I wrote another essay for today: it was a lot of fun. Of course, when I turned it in, my advisor said "so, did it kill you?" Now I'm thinking, "no, of course not - it was actually pretty interesting." I ask "why, are you disappointed?" He says, "no, of course not: I just thought that it was pretty challenging, you know, without a whole lot of sources out there."
I think I may have missed something drastic. Now I'm worried.
Sang an All Souls' Day service and Grace at Queen's College tonight: gorgeous. Especially the buffet dinner they laid out in front of us afterward.
Speaking of food, I've lost more than 1 stone since setting foot in England, literally, that's 15 lbs. I am beginning to recognize that no matter what, life in New Jersey is pretty unhealthy. Especially since, and I say this a lot, the longest walk in New Jersey is from your apartment to your car. It doesn't hurt that English portions are tiny in comparison to their American counterparts.
So a historic event has occured: I made the A-boat for Keble College Crew.
I've never made the A-team in anything remotely athletic. I was on C-team soccer, then B-team. I was on JV crew in High School. I was never chosen first in kickball. (lots of repression bubbling to the surface, right?) I was a JV wrestler, and before that, I was never the lead in my weight class. But somehow, I made the A-boat. This does not, of course, mean that I am home-free. In the next four weeks, I can of course find my position deteriorating, though I hope not. Wish me lots of luck.
I went to the Quiz Society meeting today and answered the following question: "Currently, this off Broadway hit stars Brenda Withers and Mindy Kaling in cross-dressing..." at which point I buzzed in correctly with "Matt & Ben". Matt & Ben has been a hit off Broadway since 2001, when Mindy and Brenda graduated from Dartmouth. What's special is that I graduated from High School with Mindy, who at that time went by a different name. I can't believe that someone who used to make fun of me in High School is now such a pop-culture phenomenon as to be part of a Quiz Bowl packet in at Oxford. Go Mindy.
I auditioned for and was denied the Keble College Music Society Music Scholarship, which went to a violinist instead. Honestly, I played the Mozart Bassoon Concerto and did darn well. But Marcus played part of the Bach unaccompanied cello suites on his violin. No one can turn down Bach. I'd have done better trying to play the 3rd cello part of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3... If the wind player and secretary of the Music Society had been there, I think it would have gone to a wind player (she's a clarinettist). But since she wasn't, of course out of a bassoonist, a flautist, and a violinist, they picked the violinist. grrrrr...
I think I may have missed something drastic. Now I'm worried.
Sang an All Souls' Day service and Grace at Queen's College tonight: gorgeous. Especially the buffet dinner they laid out in front of us afterward.
Speaking of food, I've lost more than 1 stone since setting foot in England, literally, that's 15 lbs. I am beginning to recognize that no matter what, life in New Jersey is pretty unhealthy. Especially since, and I say this a lot, the longest walk in New Jersey is from your apartment to your car. It doesn't hurt that English portions are tiny in comparison to their American counterparts.
So a historic event has occured: I made the A-boat for Keble College Crew.
I've never made the A-team in anything remotely athletic. I was on C-team soccer, then B-team. I was on JV crew in High School. I was never chosen first in kickball. (lots of repression bubbling to the surface, right?) I was a JV wrestler, and before that, I was never the lead in my weight class. But somehow, I made the A-boat. This does not, of course, mean that I am home-free. In the next four weeks, I can of course find my position deteriorating, though I hope not. Wish me lots of luck.
I went to the Quiz Society meeting today and answered the following question: "Currently, this off Broadway hit stars Brenda Withers and Mindy Kaling in cross-dressing..." at which point I buzzed in correctly with "Matt & Ben". Matt & Ben has been a hit off Broadway since 2001, when Mindy and Brenda graduated from Dartmouth. What's special is that I graduated from High School with Mindy, who at that time went by a different name. I can't believe that someone who used to make fun of me in High School is now such a pop-culture phenomenon as to be part of a Quiz Bowl packet in at Oxford. Go Mindy.
I auditioned for and was denied the Keble College Music Society Music Scholarship, which went to a violinist instead. Honestly, I played the Mozart Bassoon Concerto and did darn well. But Marcus played part of the Bach unaccompanied cello suites on his violin. No one can turn down Bach. I'd have done better trying to play the 3rd cello part of Brandenburg Concerto No. 3... If the wind player and secretary of the Music Society had been there, I think it would have gone to a wind player (she's a clarinettist). But since she wasn't, of course out of a bassoonist, a flautist, and a violinist, they picked the violinist. grrrrr...
